Shelter
by Riyazura
Summary: A one-shot derived from Might and Delight's Shelter 2. Mello, a mother of unborn lynx cubs, must prevail over the perilous laws of the Circle in order to meet the blessing gifted to her from above—a star that guides her to what will become her childrens' new home.


The wolves were picking up her scent trail; the mother lynx didn't have long to escape.

She analyzed the snowy landscape before her. Her white, intricately-patterned fur and black-tufted ears rippled in the wind. She set her eyes to the diminishing setting sun, and decided to take a path east. _Towards spring, where my cubs will be able to frolic after they are born..._

* * *

The deep, packed snow muffled her large paws' noise as she strode across the expanse of the frost-covered pine forest before her, away from the wolves that weren't far off.

She panted heavily. She couldn't manage this much longer with the new life in her belly. But, however tired she was, she must remember: wolves were a threat to her unborn children, not just her. She had to leave now, or risk their newfound existence.

Moments later in the silence of dusk, she had begun to feel beyond exhausted. The mother lynx, Mello, rested for a moment. She could see her breath billow up into the crisp winter air. She glanced up at the darkening sky.

Stars and constellations flickered above her head, stories of past lives told in the dots only she could connect. Mello sent a brief prayer to them that her children would survive.

_I must continue; I can't let anything drag me down._

Images from a past year flashed behind her eyes.

_Mello's mother looked to and fro, pelted by icy winds, searching for her son; "Oson!"_

_Mello, but a cub, swung her head from side to side in terror, shivering violently against the cold of the snow. Her pale gold eyes were blind in this enshrouding white. Plastered to her mother's side, she decided to call out too: "Oson! Oson, we need you!"_

_Then she saw. She saw the wolves bolting after her dear, beloved brother, and despite the fact that she wanted so badly to look away―"It's too late. Don't look! Don't look!"_―_she had been too frozen, her eyes too wide as she witnessed Oson's gruesome end, and all of its intricacies―_

Mello shuddered, shaking her head to clear the distant memory. Opening her sore eyes, she got up with an effort that made her quiver. She sighed.

Though its surroundings were so akin to the present, there was no time for remembering the past.

All that was ahead of her was the future.

* * *

Mello waddled forward hesitantly. Were the wolves still following her tracks? She had been making sure to be careful with how concealed her scent trail was. They could still be walking forward with determination, waiting for her to give in to sleep as soon as dawn approached. She would not rest until she knew for certain they weren't endangering her cubs.

Mello trekked for a while more. She had begun to notice low cliff faces not far ahead of where she was, with a wide ravine cutting through the middle of them.

Snow serenely wafted down from the dark gray sky. Mello took a deep breath of forced confidence and angled her ears to listen for the wolves.

_Grrraur..._

Mello froze. "Oh no." She frowned as she slowly turned to glance behind her.

Yellow eyes stared at her through frozen briars. Fangs crescented in the darkness. The mouth of the leading wolf gaped and snapped shut instantly as the lynx watched him in alarm.

_Run, run, run!_

Mello scrambled down the grotto despite the pain in her stomach.

The silver-furred wolves ran at full speed after her, their yips of delight echoing as both prey and predator entered the ravine.

Mello's feet kicked up chunks of packed snow as she raced the wolves, the world around her blurring. Another creature darted in front of her, petrified: a rabbit. Though they were both fast, the lynx was unsure of whether they could each outrun the wolves. In this moment, they were both prey.

The wild canines weren't far behind; some of them climbed nearby structures of rock, waiting to jump and pounce. Others pressured her onward, snapping their keen teeth together behind her stubby tail.

Mello moaned. The weight in her belly was unbearable! She loped across the ravine unsteadily despite her misery, and reminded herself of the young life resting in her belly. If she gave way to rest, her innocent cubs' lives would come to an end―

Mello slipped on slick ground and crashed into a stream barely noticeable in the hazy night light. Immediately her ears perked upwards and she jumped forward from the freezing water she'd fallen into.

She ignored the bite of ice particles already building on her fur as she continued to run.

Onward was the ravine, it's path becoming narrow. The wolves were advancing effortlessly while Mello was still struggling to hasten her speed, her breath already spent. As Mello watched in front of her, her heart skipped a beat. She was thrown forward after skidding to a stop in sudden realization: this was the end of the path―the sheer wall of a boulder towered above her!

"No..." The cowering lynx croaked, shuddering in the relentless cold and gasping for breath when there was already none to be had. She hesitantly stepped onto a stone of the crag. Mello glanced back as she felt for another ledge to step onto. The wolves were nearly upon her. _There's no time to climb!_ Mello grabbed hold of just a few more ledges hurriedly, each set of paws on a newfound yet safe enough surface. Mello braced herself as the wolves sprinted forward, their fearsome, deafening snarls reaching deep into her ear fur.

And then she _leaped_―

Mello landed atop of the structure of stone, and her weak limbs finally collapsed into its blanket of snow.

Taking deep breaths, she glanced behind and below her. The angry hunters were unable to reach her up here. Mello had survived!

The wolf pack's gruffs and huffs eventually faded as they decided to give up on the hunt.

The mother lynx was finally left alone on the frosty hill. Her adrenaline was starting to fade away. Though the mother was disconcertingly cold, exhaustion began to flow through her limbs. _I'll just rest right here for a while..._

Pain tugged at the lynx's belly. She looked at the midnight sky above her. _Thank you for protecting my children. _Mello sighed. _Winter will pass soon. I imagine that these cubs of mine will be born shortly..._

* * *

The mother lynx had gotten up some moments ago, and decided to keep travelling east despite her focus in navigation being inconvenienced by the wolf chase. She glanced up at the clear sky, branches and twigs from the surrounding trees obscuring a few of them. She smiled gently: the stars twinkled brightly, and made it clear which direction to go in the dim light of the night.

Mello trotted forward, ignoring the twinges she began to feel in her swollen belly. Directing her gaze from the ground to the sky every once in a while, she whispered to herself a song she had known since childhood. This wasn't for her own amusement; she couldn't wait to tell her firstborns of the Circle, of the obelisk hunters, of the_ constellations!_ She was certain they were listening to her now as they kicked in her belly. And she had thought that the stars, too, had perhaps listened to her solemn thoughts of living―_These cubs are dear to me, but these are the first children I have ever had... Can I trust myself to guide and protect them?_

Sometimes the mother longed desperately for answers to the questions she asked herself the most.

"Every mother has these thoughts, Mello."

Mello's ears unanticipatedly pricked and she looked up, her eyes twinkling at the being that had suddenly spoken to her.

It was a golden star, just a few tail lengths above Mello. It chuckled. It seemed to Mello that the star could tell that she was bewildered by its appearance. "The stories, they are true. We exist in harmony with the Circle. You were lost in this glen when those wolves let you go, is that not true?"

Mello's gaze became less hard, and she answered, "I _was _indeed hunted by wolves, and I only just managed to escape."

"Be still. You succeeded the expectations of the Circle, and you lived. Now your children will soon meet the many faces of nature. That means that we must prepare for this transition!" The star was clearly excited for Mello, and Mello decided that she should reflect the celebrator happiness of this star.

"You're going to... to_ guide_ me?" The mother asked as she followed the star, who began to glide into the woodland surrounding them. _I've been blessed with such a gift?_

"Yes; just until dawn, though."

"Do―do we have enough time?"

"Of course! Just follow me, and we can discuss things along the way."

Mello trotted up to the star and slowed. "What are the things we must do for my cubs before you must leave?"

The star glowed, highlighting Mello's silhouette and flecks of untouched snow a dim, but pale, gold. "You have done so well that all we must do is find you and your children a new home."

"What?" Mello watched, confused. _"'All_ we must do?' You make it sound as though that is easy..."

The star responded gently, "Nonsense! We still have plenty of time, little lynx. I have until sunrise to stay with you. It isn't quite dawn yet."

"Okay. I... I guess I am just scared I can't be who I want to be for these cubs. I want them to live great lives."

The star was quiet for a moment. Then it explained: "This is all I can tell you, Mello." The star kept flying father from the lynx, making it her follow in haste. "Love your cubs as much as you possibly can." Shards fell from the star, leaving a path of golden stardust floating just above the field's sheet of snow.

As she was before them, Mello noticed that the stardust floated heavenward, and into the sky.

"Give them as bright of futures as you possibly can."

The horizon was becoming brighter. Mello's heart lurched as she continued to follow the star in panicked haste. Not much time was left before it had to leave.

"Gift these cubs with as much of your experience and acceptance as you possibly can. These cubs will change your entire outlook on life... Embrace that change."

The rising sunlight broke the fog and revealed a ragged, old pine tree towering above Mello. Its strong branches reached out, scratching the sky.

Finally, Mello understood where she needed to be.

Her den, that's where the star was leading her to. Mello was so filled with a new sense of joy that she began to sprint after it.

"Embrace the love of your cubs! It will be the most important element that determines what you do to help them!"

Mello called out, "Star! Thank you so much for this!" Then she stopped abruptly, just below the pine tree's spindly, needly branches. "I apologize for not bringing this up until now, but―what is your name?"

The star smiled as it began to float higher in the sky. Sunrise and all of its heavenly shafts of light rising from the horizon's shadow-silhouetted trees finally shined upon them both.

The star finally responded as it made its ascent back to the constellations it had originally descended from.

"You will recognize me again someday, and then you will know my name."

~ Shelter 2 ~

* * *

This story was based off of the prologue of Shelter 2, though Mello is an original character (not Inna), and included some of my own interpretation of other Shelter lore, such as the Circle from Might and Delight's short story of the same name, _Shelter 2's_ and _Paws'_ obvious emphasis on constellations, and _Meadow's _obelisk hunters. The cover art is derived from original concept art of _Shelter 2. _I hope you enjoyed this one-shot!

Happy Holidays!


End file.
